I was under the impression that heating and air conditioning systems were supposed to last for 15 to 20 years! It’s what I had heard all my life.
It’s also what I experienced quite often in my life until recently.
You see, seven years ago, I found a job down in the southeast. I wasn’t particularly excited about the hot and muggy weather I would have to be subjected to, but the paycheck was calling me. Besides, I would be close to the beach, and who wouldn’t love that? I ended up purchasing a home that was modestly-sized but on a great piece of property. The home was well-maintained, but I decided to have a brand new air conditioning system installed, because the old one didn’t really seem up to snuff. Like I said, I fully expected this new air conditioning system to last at least 15 years. So, you can imagine my surprise when my HVAC technician told me that my air conditioner was showing signs of its age just last week! It’s true that I had been calling him out a couple extra times this year for one problem or another, but I didn’t think that it was an indication that my air conditioner was on its way out! I protested the idea that it was already dying at 7 years of age, but he explained to me that it’s different down here in the south. I had been using my air conditioner almost constantly, and even though I had been trying to keep it well maintained, an A/C may very well simply run out of juice faster when it is in heavy use throughout the year!